I Know Why the Priestess Cries
by Ahnalaura Night
Summary: With their quest for Naraku at a standstill, Kagome returns to her time to rest before the final battle and come to terms with her unrequited love. But when a new boy at school catches her attention, Kagome is suddenly torn between the past and the present. Now Inuyasha knows why Kagome cries when he goes to Kikyo. KagxInu, KagxOC, fluff and fun! Full summary inside! Read & Review!
1. Chapter 1

Full Summary:

Kagome is feeling hopeless after seeing Inuyasha with Kikyo over and over again. With their quest to find Naraku at a standstill, she returns to her time to rest before the final battle and come to terms with her unrequited love. But when a new boy at school catches her attention, Kagome is suddenly torn between the past and the present. Will she finally be able to move on? Will Inuyasha make her choice for her? Now Inuyasha knows why Kagome cries when he goes to Kikyo. KagxInu, KagxOC, fluff and fun!

* * *

 **Important Note: A long version of this author's note is located at the end of this chapter, but I promise in future chapters I will keep both beginning and end author's notes** **significantly** **shorter.**

 **Short version: The point of this story is for Kagome to** **actually** **fall for some other guy and have to choose between him and Inuyasha. Why? Because I think Inuyasha deserves a taste of his own medicine!**

 **This story will alternate (irregularly) between Inuyasha's and Kagome's POV, but it will be told in third person so it is easier to distinguish. Also, I will be using horizontal lines to break up scenes in the chapters, so make sure you read anything that isn't in bold because it's part of the story (I know some people like to skip the author's notes. I do it all the time haha).**

 **If you have questions about why I've changed the plot regarding the jewel or why I'm writing this, check out the extension author's note at the very bottom. Thanks! Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, obviously.**

* * *

Colored dots danced across Kagome's vision as the sound of Inuyasha's footsteps tore her gaze away from the blaze in front of her. She had been pretending to listen to her friends' chatter while their fish popped and sizzled above the campfire. She blinked rapidly and watched him lean against a tree just beyond the light cast by the fire. He tucked his arms tightly against his torso, hiding them in the large sleeves of his fire-rat robe. He didn't look her way.

He never did after going to see _her._

Kagome's shoulders slumped and she returned to staring at the flickering movement of the flames. It was probably bad for her sight, but that was better than seeing the faraway look of longing in Inuyasha's eyes. She understood the heartache that was causing his silver canine ears to droop and his head to hang low. He hated leaving Kikyo—almost as much as Kagome hated it when he went to her.

"You're back," said Shippo as he hopped in Inuyasha's direction, fluffy tail bouncing enthusiastically behind him. "So, what did Kikyo have to tell us? And why couldn't she tell us all together?"

Kagome gritted her teeth at the sound of her name. She shouldn't be irritated. Kikyo had just as much invested in finding Naraku and the Shikon jewel as the rest of them. Maybe even more so—she had her own death to avenge. What Kagome couldn't understand is why she had to drag Inuyasha away to talk about it.

From the way Inuyasha's ears twitched, she guessed he had heard her teeth grinding over the kitsune's innocent line of questioning. Neither chose to acknowledge it.

"There're no more shards left to search for. Naraku's got most of them, Kohaku has one, that mangy wolf has two, and we got the rest." Inuyasha finally looked Kagome's way, but she knew he wasn't looking at her; his eyes were fixed on the cord around her neck, the only visible evidence of the shards beneath her shirt. She tensed.

"So all that's left is to find Naraku," she said.

"And kill 'im."

Tension filled the air at Inuyasha's growled confirmation. They had all been waiting for this moment, when they would finally be able to take the next step in their quest to make Naraku answer for the misery he had caused.

Sango was the first to voice what everyone was thinking. "But how do we find him?"

A solemn silence settled on the travelers. Naraku had vanished without a trace weeks ago. Not even a whisper of his whereabouts had reached them since they'd retrieved their last shard.

"There's no way of knowing until he wants to be found. With those barriers, he could stay hidden forever," Miroku put his hand to his chin thoughtfully, staring into the trees around them as if they held the answers.

"He'll come out eventually," Shippo murmured. "He wants the jewel. Maybe we should just wait for him to make the next move."

Inuyasha snarled and aimed a venomous glare at the fox. "And let him take control? Not a chance! We'll just have to keep looking until we find something."

"Great. How exactly do we accomplish that?" Sango's voice was firm, but not challenging. "There's no point in wasting our energy searching for him right now. We have no leads, and no way of getting through or even finding his barriers. We should return to Kaede's village and prepare for what's next."

"I can't believe what I'm hearing! After everything he's done to us, to Kikyo, and Kohaku, you want to just wait for Naraku to come and take out the next village?"

"Inuyasha! That was too far!" Kagome was getting ready to yell "sit" when she saw Sango's eyes fill with unshed tears.

Inuyasha walked past the fire and kneeled in front of the demon hunter, eyes hidden beneath his bangs while he faced the ground. "You're right. I crossed the line. I'm sorry, Sango."

Sango leaned forward and patted Inuyasha's shoulder in an unspoken gesture of forgiveness. He nodded slightly before leaving to jump into the nearest tree.

An uneasy quiet permeated the atmosphere once more while they ate. Kagome continued gazing into the flames without really seeing them.

 _It's almost over. What are we all going to do when we finally destroy him?_ She stole a glance at Inuyasha above them. _Is he really going to give his life to her after fighting to survive for so long?_

Kagome sighed inwardly. She knew where this train of thought led, and she didn't feel like going down that emotional spiral at the moment. She noticed she had some fish left, but she couldn't muster the motivation to eat anymore. "Here, Shippo. Finish this for me. I'm not hungry anymore."

Shippo exchanged concerned looks with Sango and Miroku. "Are you okay, Kagome?"

She shrugged. "I'm just tired."

"You've hardly eaten anything," Miroku pressed. "You should finish your meal. You need your strength."

"I'm too stressed to eat," she murmured, once again offering the remaining food to Shippo. "Really. I'll eat tomorrow." The fox demon took the fish gingerly from her hands, but the worried frown never left his face.

"It won't help to stress over it. There's no telling when or how Naraku will turn up," Miroku spoke around a mouthful of food. "You'll starve before he comes out if you keep this up."

She shook her head. "That's not going to happen. It's just been a lot lately. Between searching for Naraku, protecting the shards, and—" she paused. _And watching him run to her again._ "And school, I guess I'm just worn out."

Sango met her eyes. Kagome knew she had read between the lines, but she didn't bring it up. "Do you have another 'test?'"

Kagome nodded. "I have a science test for the chemistry unit. There's no way I'm going to pass." She would have chuckled at the puzzled expressions on her friends' faces if she didn't feel so down.

Sango shrugged. "I don't understand school stuff, but I do know about overworking yourself. Maybe you should go home for a while."

Inuyasha leaped from the tree and landed beside Kagome. She jumped. She hadn't realized he'd been listening. "No way! Naraku could appear at any minute. We need to be ready for him!"

"Inuyasha—" Miroku started.

"He's right." Kagome interrupted softly. When everyone's eyes fell on her, she clenched her fist and met their gazes with what she hoped was a fierce expression. "We're closer than ever to finally defeating Naraku. I won't go home until we finish what we've started." She was trying to sound strong, but her voice was deadpan even to her own ears.

 _You don't sound strong. You sound resigned._ She grimaced at her inner voice. She could see in the faces of her companions that they heard it, too. She looked away.

"I'm exhausted. I'm going to turn in early tonight. Let's just decide what to do tomorrow, okay?" Without waiting for a response she stood and went about setting up her sleeping bag, ignoring the feeling of multiple eyes watching her.

She turned away and listened to the sounds of her friends settling in to rest for the night. _Maybe things will seem better in the morning._

* * *

Kagome rolled over for what felt like the hundredth time in the last few hours. Everyone else had drifted to sleep, but her sadness wouldn't allow her to rest for the night. She couldn't stop thinking about how close it was to being over and how she would have to say goodbye when Naraku was finally gone. She looked at Inuyasha. To her eyes in the dark, he was little more than a shadow in the tree branches. One day soon he would be less than that.

She scrunched her eyes against the thought and sat up abruptly. She was never going to get any sleep if she didn't clear her head. Slipping out of the sleeping bag, she decided to distract herself by refilling the canteen in her pack. She pulled it out as quietly as she could and crept further into the forest, following the sounds of the stream they'd passed earlier that day.

She was still walking when she heard a soft thud behind her. "You shouldn't go off alone at night," Inuyasha said.

They quickly came up to the stream. She shrugged as she kneeled down to dip the container in the water. "I can't sleep."

"I thought you were exhausted."

She snorted quietly. "I'm so tired I can't sleep."

"Keh. That doesn't make any sense."

She shrugged again as she replaced the lid on the canteen and leaned back to watch the water. "You can't really understand it unless you've experienced it. It'll pass."

"How do you get through it?"

"After going days without sleep, I usually crash and sleep an entire day away. Eventually I get my energy back." She raised her hand as Inuyasha opened his mouth to respond. "Don't start yelling. I know that's not an option here. This is a critical time for us. I'll rest when Naraku's gone forever." She managed to sound slightly less drained this time.

Inuyasha shook his head. "I'm not going to yell," he said softly. She turned to look at him. "You should go home."

Kagome blinked. _You ... want me gone?_ The next time she blinked she saw red. "I can't believe you're doing this again! Sit boy!"

Inuyasha's face slammed into the ground. "Hey! What was that for?!"

She stomped her foot. "You're such an idiot, Inuyasha! Haven't you learned by now that it never works when you try to send me away to my time? When are you going to get it through your head that we're in this _together_?! I'm not just a weak teenage girl anymore!"

Inuyasha pulled himself up and placed a hand over her mouth. "Stupid, calm down! I'm not trying to send you away forever. We need you when the time to kill Naraku finally comes."

Kagome stopped struggling. Her heart pounded in her chest, but she tried to tell herself it was from her anger, not his nearness.

Inuyasha moved his hands to her wrists. "I know you're strong enough to do this. But Sango and Miroku are right, much as I hate to admit it," he grumbled. "Even your inner strength has its limits. You'll get yourself killed if you take him on drained like this. You should rest while you can."

 _Do you care about me, or my usefulness to the battle?_ She searched in the gold of his eyes for the answer, but all she saw was the stubborn look he gets when he's gearing up for an argument.

She didn't have the energy to fight with him. "I guess it would be nice to sleep in my bed for once." She pulled her wrists from his grip and turned back to the stream. "I'll go back through the well as soon as we get to Kaede's village."

* * *

It was just before noon when the group entered Kaede's hut.

"How long will you be gone?" Shippo threw himself into her arms and buried his face in shoulder. "You're not leaving forever, are you Kagome? If Inuyasha said something to make you mad, I swear I'll—oof!"

Shippo's eyes watered as he rubbed the new bump on his head. "Pipe down, runt. I didn't do nothin' to her."

"This time," Shippo grumbled.

Kagome squeezed the fox demon in her arms. "Don't worry, Shippo. I'll be back in a few days. I'm just going to take my test and get some rest. I'll be back with lots of supplies before you know it." She smiled warmly at him.

Sango pulled Shippo from her arms and embraced her in a fierce hug. "You take all the time you need." Sango leaned to whisper in her ear. "Make sure to tend to your heart, too, okay?" Kagome's cheeks reddened at Sango's words.

Miroku hugged her next. "Don't stay gone too long! I'll get withdrawals from your beauty." Kagome rolled her eyes, until she felt his hand fall below her waist to her behind.

 _SLAP!_ "Pervert!"

Kaede shook her head "One day ye would do well to learn to keep your hands to yourself."

"Keh. Like that'll ever happen," Inuyasha sneered. "Come on Kagome. I'll walk you to the well."

Kagome stopped glaring at the monk and turned to Inuyasha. "Don't worry about it. I'll go back alone."

Inuyasha looked taken aback. "But Kagome—"

"It's the middle of the day. I'll be fine."

His ears drooped. "O-okay. I'll come find you as soon as we hear something about Naraku."

She nodded, threw her emptied bag over her shoulder and turned to leave. She felt Inuyasha's eyes boring into her back as she walked away. _Don't follow me, Inuyasha. I need to get you out of my head._

When she arrived at the well, she hesitated before jumping in. _What do I hope to accomplish while I'm there?_

She looked behind her. _Should I try to move on and start getting over him?_ She sighed. She knew it wasn't that easy. _How do you just forget someone you're in love with?_

She clenched her fists. "Get it together, Kagome. If you face Naraku like this, he'll eat you alive." With that, she jumped into the well and returned home.

* * *

 _Kagome,_

 _Gone to visit some relatives for the weekend! We'll see you Monday if you're there!_

 _Love, Mom_

Kagome crumpled the note in her hand. "It's just as well. I don't really feel like talking to anyone right now." She climbed the stairs to her room and flopped onto her bed.

"Mrow?" She heard Buyo just as he settled on the pillow above her.

"What am I gonna do, Buyo? I don't usually let stuff get me down this long. How am I supposed to get better before I have to go back?"

The chubby cat merely nuzzled her in response. It was comforting, but not helpful. She sat up in her bed and stared out the window.

"All I want is..." She sighed. "Something impossible. How do I let go of that when I care about him so much?"

"Mrrrrow." Buyo got up and headed for the door, stopping once to glance back at her.

"You're right Buyo. I just have to take it one step at a time. I'll start by taking some time to myself today. Care to join me in the bath?' She chuckled at the cat's startled expression and headed for the bathroom.

"Tomorrow is a new day. I think some me time is just what I need."

* * *

 **Okay, so I know this chapter is really slow. That's why I've uploaded the first and second ones together. So please read the next chapter before you make any judgment on the story so far! I just had to get the background for the real story (Kagome's love life!) to begin. This was mostly just me trying to get a feel for the characters and set up the story for the events I want to write now that she's back in her time. Future chapters will be a lot more interesting (I hope)!**

 **So I'll be honest, I'm not sure how this story is going to end. I know quite a few events I want to happen in the future, but I don't really know how it all will conclude. I guess we'll just go along for the ride and see where the characters take me, huh?**

 **Thanks for reading! Go check out chapter 2 then leave me a review to tell me what you think! See you next time!**

 **Extended Author's Note (From beginning):**

 **Hi there! It's been a long time!**

 **I'm a big fan of the Inuyasha anime (haven't had the chance to read the manga yet), but something always bothered me when it came to Inuyasha's relationship with Kagome. Everyone knows he got jealous anytime Koga or Hojo came near Kagome, but he was never actually threatened. They never stood a chance to Kagome because she had eyes only for him. That's great and all, but it always made me angry that Inuyasha never got a taste of his own medicine. I think after all he put her through, he deserved to feel what it's like to worry about her choosing someone else, at least for a little while.**

 **I've ignored some of what happens in the canon plot to make this story easier for me to write. Just imagine that the episodes in which they go to borderland between the afterlife and the land of the living didn't happen, and instead all the shards stayed in Feudal Japan. Naraku and the shards' whereabouts aren't too important for this story as we're not focusing on that, so I'm not going to go too much into how the jewel is nearly complete in this story. Just roll with it ^.^**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello again! Thanks for sticking with this story through the first chapter and coming to read the next one!**

 **Important Note: I know nothing about Japanese culture (Feudal or modern), so I have made the OC love interest American. I will be** **westernizing the interactions in this story. Please forgive this OOC trait.**

 **I decided to use a new love interest instead of Hojo because it's pretty clear Kagome has no interest in him whatsoever (at least not anymore). Hopefully you'll like my new character! Read and review, let me know what you think!**

 **Disclaimer: As cool as it would be, I don't own Inuyasha.**

* * *

 _RRRRRRRIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGG!_

Kagome groaned at the obnoxious noise coming from her alarm clock. _Time for school already?_

Buyo entered her room and jumped on the bed next to her face, crouching in a luxurious stretch. "Good idea, Buyo," she murmured. Her body trembled as she stretched her limbs as far they could reach before she sat up and yawned.

Kagome absently pet her cat as she blinked the sleep out of her eyes. Physically, she felt refreshed after a hot bath and a long night of rest.

Her mental state was another matter. _How can I miss him so much after only one night?_ She shook her head. This was going to be harder than she thought—even though she still wasn't sure what "this" was.

Her body was on autopilot as she went through her typical before-school routine. After getting dressed and brushing her teeth, she took a long look at her reflection. The brown eyes looking back at her seemed dull, deadened by heartbreak and witnessing too many deaths.

She wanted to look away, but she forced herself to meet the girl in the mirror's gaze. "Listen you. We have never let any of that stuff stand in the way of doing what's right, and we're not going to start now." She did her best impression of Inuyasha's scowl and gave her reflection a fierce look. "We're too close for you to let it all get to you now. You've got work to do. Don't let the bad stuff change who you are." She gave a small smile when she realized how much her scowl matched that of Inuyasha's.

With a nod, she turned away and mentally psyched herself up to improve her mood. _Today is gonna be a good day. I'll see my friends, start catching up on homework, and get my mind off of_ him _for a while._

Determined, she grabbed her bag and strode out of the house with more confidence than she felt. _Just fake it 'till you make it, Kagome. You'll feel better once you see your friends._

As if the universe sensed her thoughts, she heard Ayumi, Eri, and Yuka calling out to her from the bus that just stopped behind her.

"Kagome! You're going to school today," Eri exclaimed.

"Yeah. I'm going stir crazy being stuck at home. I thought I'd see how I do for the next few days at school," she lied, trying to keep talk about her health generic so she didn't have to come up with any more fake conditions.

"You're just in time to start prepping for that chemistry test," Yuka said.

Kagome smiled as her friends walked and chattered about all the stuff they thought would be on the test.

"And you're going to need a lab partner for the experiment section of the exam. Sorry Kagome—I'd partner up with you, but we're all in a different class period," Ayumi said with an apologetic tone.

She waved her hand. "I understand. Hopefully there will be someone available, or maybe our teacher will make an exception for me. We'll see what happens."

Ayumi nudged her suggestively with her elbow. "Too bad Hojo is in our chemistry class. I'm sure he'd _love_ to partner up with you."

Kagome rolled her eyes.

"Speaking of boys," Eri exclaimed. "What's going on with that psycho, two-timing boyfriend of yours?"

"Yeah, is he still crazy possessive and jealous?" Yuka jumped in.

Kagome stopped. Her friends took a few more steps before realizing she was no longer beside them and turned back to her. "Listen, I don't want to talk about him anymore. Part of why I came back to school is to think about something other than him, so just drop it. Got that?"

She felt a bit guilty. She wasn't usually so harsh with her friends—even if they were overly nosy at times. But she just didn't have the energy to get into her complicated situation with the half-demon for them.

Her inner voice snorted. _Nothing complicated about it. You love him. He doesn't feel the same way. End of story._

She shook her head, annoyed at her thoughts.

The girls exchanged looks before Eri and Ayumi linked arms with her and continued walking. "Okay Kagome. If a distraction's what you need, then that's what we'll do! Let's just focus on the test we have coming up," Eri said as she beamed at her friend.

"Thanks guys." She gave them a grateful smile as they passed through the doors to the school.

She was just about to walk into her first class of the day when she heard a familiar voice call from down the hall. "Higurashi!" She shot her three companions a stern look that spoke volumes before turning to address the person rushing to meet her. _Keep your mouths shut for once_ , it shouted.

"Hey Hojo! It's been a long time." She hoped her smile didn't seem forced. She liked Hojo as a friend, and maybe once as more than that, but she was getting a little sick of fending off his requests for a date every time she returned to the present.

"It has! I'm so glad to see you're looking well. I was going to stop by your house after school today to drop off a gift for your back pains, but you look like you're able to stand up straight again!"

Before she could give an awkward response, an unfamiliar boy approached the group, his expression somewhat flustered.

"Hojo! You took off so fast I could barely keep up without running through the halls like a weirdo. Are you sick of me already?" He gave an awkward laugh as he took a spot next to Hojo, turning to nod at the girls.

Hojo chuckled and put a hand behind his head. "Sorry! I just got excited to see my friend. She's out sick a lot so none of us have seen her in a while. Ladies, this is Alder Coleman. He's a new transfer student from the United States. I'm showing him around the school. Alder, this is Eri, Ayumi, Yuka, and Kagome Higurashi."

Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka waggled their eyebrows at Kagome with Hojo's formal introduction. She ignored them.

The new guy extended his hand in the western custom to each of them as they were introduced. "You guys can call me Cole, if you don't mind." He stilled as he met Kagome's gaze while shaking her hand. "Uh h-hi. Nice to meet you Kagome."

She froze, too. _His eyes. They're just like..._

Kagome stared in wonder, taking in this stranger's appearance. His skin was deeply sun-tanned, though the exposed part of his wrist revealed he was naturally light-skinned. He stood about a head taller than her, and his face was wide and angular, but it worked on him. His shoulders were broad, but his frame was thin. What he seemed to lack in muscle he made up for in tone, not that she could see much through his uniform. She wondered if he was one of those guys who never got big muscles no matter how fit he was. His sandy blond hair was cut short, with would-be bangs spiked up an inch or two at the front of his head.

And in the light coming from the window, his eyes were the color of melted gold, exactly like Inuyasha's. She felt her breath catch as he looked at her.

Hojo reddened. "Cole, here in Japan it's inappropriate to—"

Kagome cut him off. "It's okay, Hojo. I don't mind if he doesn't know any different. You can call me Kagome."

Hojo sputtered. Kagome didn't notice. She was too interested in the boy with the blazing eyes. _I don't sense any demonic energy coming off of him. Could he be half-demon too? Why are his eyes like that?_ Out loud she only said, "You speak Japanese really well, Cole. Where are you from?"

He blushed and released her hand. She hadn't realized he'd still been holding it in front of her. "Thanks. I'm from Arizona, but my mom was from here. I grew up bilingual."

Eri raised an eyebrow. "If your mom is Japanese, how come you don't know the customs for addressing people?"

"Eri!" Kagome chided. She noticed an almost imperceptible tinge of sadness enter his expression.

Cole only shrugged. "It's okay. I got to learn the language, but not much about the culture. I gotta learn sometime, right? I hope I didn't offend you Kago—erm, Higurashi."

Kagome shook her head. She wasn't sure why, but she instantly liked Cole—which made her wary of him _._ She'd learned in the Feudal Era to be cautious of anyone who was too easy to get comfortable with. _But... He doesn't seem like a demon._ She was suddenly very curious about this new golden-eyed student."Really, Cole. I don't mind if you call me by my first name."

All three of her friends looked at her with their eyebrows raised. She lifted her chin and ignored them, not looking away from Cole.

"Okay, Kagome," he smiled fully again. The bell rang, warning everyone they had one minute to get to class before being marked tardy. "Well, I'll see you. It was nice to meet you all!"

Hojo grinned at Kagome and bowed slightly to her. "It was really great to see you, Higurashi. I hope you'll be able to stay longer this time." With that, he went to join the new student walking toward the other end of the hall. He waved as they walked away. "Bye girls! See you later!"

Kagome watched until they disappeared, then she noticed her friends staring at her. "What?" she asked, her tone mildly annoyed.

"What was _that_?" Eri said.

"What?" She repeated.

"You two couldn't keep your eyes off each other!" Ayumi exclaimed. "There were total sparks!" She squealed as she got into her seat next to Kagome.

She rolled her eyes and sighed in frustration. "No, there weren't." _It's just those eyes surprised me._ "Don't you three have anything better to do than talk about my interactions with boys?"

Before they could answer, the instructor walked in and took his seat at the front desk. "All right students. Class has begun, no more talking."

She let out a breath, relieved to escape her friends' questions about boys—for now.

* * *

Kagome flopped into the chair at her desk. It was her last class of the day, chemistry, and she was glad to be away from the girls. She was starting to feel suffocated by her boy-crazy friends. _Don't they have anything else on their minds?_ She had been avoiding conversations about Inuyasha and why she wouldn't date Hojo all day.

She was struggling to pull her chemistry textbook from her overly stuffed backpack when movement at the front of the classroom caught her attention. Before she could look, the instructor cleared her throat, as she always did before she started addressing the class. "Everyone, I would like to introduce a new student to our class. This is Alder Coleman. He is a foreign exchange student from Phoenix, Arizona in the United States. I expect you all to make him feel welcome. You may take the empty seat in the fourth row, Alder."

Kagome started when she realized the only empty seat in the room—the one mentioned by her teacher—was the one next to her. She scrambled to move her supplies to her side of the desk to make room for him.

"Kagome! Wow, it's nice to see a familiar face. I only have Hojo in my first class, so I've been alone most of the day." He beamed. In the dimmer lighting of the classroom, his eyes darkened to the color of amber. She wasn't sure if she was relieved or disappointed to see the change.

 _Should I be friendly or cautious? What if he's not as nice as he seems?_ Kagome quietly let out a puff of air. She was being paranoid. _I've been spending too much time with Inuyasha._

"Hi, Cole. I guess we're lab partners. No one else is available."

He tilted his head inquisitively as he took his seat. "Don't you already have one?"

She shook her head. "I've been out sick most of the year. I wouldn't want to let someone down because they're counting on me when I can't be here."

He nodded in understanding while he pulled out his notebook and a textbook identical to hers. "Well, I'm glad you could be here today. I'd love to be your partner."

"Okay class, open your books to chapter seven," the instructor said, beginning to write notes on the chalkboard.

She frowned. "But I just told you I'm gone all the time. I won't be a very reliable partner," she whispered to him.

He laughed under his breath. "Then I guess I'll just have to enjoy your company while I have it, won't I?"

 _Is... Is he flirting with me?_ She never wanted to be one of those girls that assumed every guy was trying to hit on her, but Cole's smile was a little warmer than she would expect from someone she only met for a few minutes that morning. Then again, she was letting him call her by her first name. She chewed her lip as she wondered what he thought of that.

"—gome? Did you hear me?" Cole was leaning closer, whispering and trying to meet her eyes.

She realized he'd been saying something to her while she was lost in her thoughts. _Get a grip, girl!_ "Huh?"

He gave her that shy smile again. "I asked if you think you'll be here for the exam on Friday."

"Oh. Yeah I think so. That's the main reason I came back."

He nodded. "Great! Maybe we can study together after class for a few days. We both have a lot to catch up on."

She hesitated. _Why is he being so friendly? Is it some kind of trick?_ "I don't know. I've got a lot of work from my other classes, too. And my health still isn't the best so..."

His smile faded. "Oh. Of course. Sorry to assume. I guess I'm just over-eager to make a friend. It sucks being the new kid in the middle of the year, you know?" He turned away and kept his gaze fixed on his notebook, taking notes.

She chewed her lip again, feeling guilty. She knew what it was like to feel lost in a new place. That was how she first felt walking around in the Feudal Era, before she realized that she could go home through the well whenever she wanted. _You're being ridiculous. Not everyone with weird eye colors is a demon out to get you and Inuyasha._

She made up her mind. "You know what, I understand. We're partners, so may as well act like it while I'm here. I'd be happy to study with you after class. Why don't we start tomorrow?"

His face lit up. "Really? Sounds perfect! We can head straight to the library from here and go over the chapters that will be on the test."

She fought the urge to giggle at his change in attitude. He was as resilient as Shippo.

The rest of the class was uneventful. Kagome wrote down everything she could and dreaded having to commit it all to memory in a mere four days.

When the bell rang, she gathered her things and turned to leave. Cole fell into step beside her. "So tomorrow then? I'll bring snacks for us, since we don't know how long it will take."

She nodded. "The library closes at 5:30, so we can study until then. But snacks would be awesome."

They stopped as they exited the classroom. He turned to her. "You got it. Thank you for agreeing to be my partner Kagome. It's nice to have a friend on the first day."

She chuckled. "Don't thank me yet. You don't know how behind I am. I'll be a burden more than anything."

He met her gaze, his expression suddenly intense. "Something tells me you could never be a burden to anyone. You don't seem like the type."

She frowned, not sure how to take that. He put his hands up in front of him and chuckled awkwardly. "Ha, that was a compliment. Anyway, I'm going this way," he pointed in the opposite direction from where she usually exited the building. "See you tomorrow, Kagome."

She blinked as he suddenly turned to go. "Bye," she said lamely. She watched him exit before she turned to make her own way home.

 _This is going to be an interesting week._

* * *

 **So what do you think of Cole? Is he a suspicious person with an ulterior motive, or is Kagome just being paranoid? You'll just have to read and see ^.^**

 **I'm sorry if the story still seems a little slow. I meant to put more plot in this chapter, but it's already so long. I just want to make all of her interactions as realistic and immersive as possible. I hate it when writers gloss over the parts in between the major events, even when the stuff between is not super important. It makes the story feel rushed and incomplete, don't you think? I hope you'll stick with this story, because it will get more interesting. It's worth it if you want to see Inuyasha sweat over Kagome and an actual love triangle!**

 **Thanks for reading! If you like it, or have any** **constructive** **(see: helpful and friendly) suggestions to make it better, leave a review! Please include an email or use your FanFiction account to leave reviews. I like to respond to feedback, which I can't do if you leave an anonymous guest review.**

 **Just FYI, I'm currently a busy college student balancing full-time classes and a part-time job, so I don't have a bunch of time to write a lot. In fact, I shouldn't be writing this right now (I should be reading a media law textbook. Ugh). So my goal is to update with a new chapter every two weeks, but this may need to be changed later. We'll see how the semester goes! Thanks again!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello there and welcome back!**

 **For those who are wondering, I gave Cole Inuyasha's eyes because if Kagome is realistically going to be attracted to someone else, he needs to have some things in common with our favorite half-demon that draw her to him.**

 **Now that that's all cleared up, let's get back to the story! Enjoy!**

* * *

"Higurashi, aren't you going to eat your rice balls? You need to keep your strength up to stay healthy!"

"Huh?" She looked up at the worried tone in Hojo's voice. She realized she had been pushing her rice balls around with chopsticks while lost in thought. She barely even remembered waiting in the lunch line and sitting down.

"He's right, Kagome. You're already so thin. No wonder you're always sick," Cole added. "In fact..." He scooped a rice ball from his tray and placed it in front of her. "You should eat mine too."

Kagome blushed as he scooted the tray closer to her. She wasn't losing weight from sickness; she was just incredibly fit from fighting for her life on a daily basis. She was pretty sure all the fat had been beaten off of her body a long time ago.

 _Still. It's nice of them to care if I eat._ Her heart squeezed as she remembered Sango, Miroku, and Shippo had been giving her the same worried expressions just two nights ago. _I guess I haven't been eating much lately._

She nodded and smiled in gratitude. "You're right. Thanks, Cole." She took a large bite from the rice ball, then froze when she caught the shocked looks everyone was giving Cole—and her. "What?"

"Is that all it took? We should have given you our food forever ago," Eri said.

"You really have a way with Kagome, Cole," Ayumi giggled. Yuka elbowed her in the rib and shot a pointed look in Hojo's direction. "Uh—I mean—We can never get her out of her head when she spaces out like that. I guess the secret was always food." She rubbed the back of her head and gave an awkward laugh.

Kagome glanced at Hojo. He was unfazed, as always. She nearly rolled her eyes as she resumed eating. _He's a nice guy, but when is he going to get it through his head that I'm not available?_

Cole broke the tension by laughing. "Of course it is! I've yet to meet a problem that delicious food and good conversation can't fix. What's on your mind, Kagome?"

She looked up to see Eri, Ayumi, Yuka, Hojo, and Cole all watching her, awaiting a response. She stuffed the second rice ball in her mouth to stall her answer. _I was thinking about Inuyasha. I wonder if he's gone to see Kikyo since I left. When will he come see me?_ "Mmmffff—" she hummed as she swallowed her bite. "I was just thinking about the test on Friday. I'm really worried about it."

The girls looked at her skeptically; she knew they didn't believe her for a minute. Hojo and Cole bought it though. "Don't worry, Kagome. When we're done, you're gonna destroy that exam," Cole exclaimed.

"Maybe we could all go for ice cream to celebrate on Friday. What do you say Higurashi?" Hojo looked at her with hopeful eyes.

She swallowed a bit of Cole's rice ball. "Oh, I—"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Hojo. We have to study for the exam before we start making plans to celebrate," Cole winked at her when no one else was looking. She gave him a grateful smile.

The bell to end lunch rang through the cafeteria. "Well, I better get going. See you guys later." Kagome stuffed the last of her food in her mouth and rushed in the direction of her next class.

Cole fell into step beside her. "Hey, so you want to talk about what was _really_ on your mind back there?"

She looked at him in surprise. "W-what do you mean?"

He shrugged and resumed looking forward. "It's pretty obvious you weren't thinking about the test. But I understand not wanting to talk in front of everyone. I just want you to know I'm here to listen if you need to vent or something."

"But I just met you," she blurted before she could stop herself. She slapped a hand over her mouth. "Sorry. I just mean—"

He laughed awkwardly. "No, I get it. We hardly know each other. My dad keeps telling me I'm too abrupt for people here. I'm not used to everything being so formal." Suddenly he stopped and bowed to her, clearly uncomfortable with the motion. "I'm sorry Kagome. I feel like I keep offending you."

She softened. "It's okay, Cole. Actually, you remind me a lot of someone I know. He's not very big on boundaries either," she giggled at the mildly insulted expression on his face.

"No boundaries? I..." He sighed in mock defeat. "I guess I'll work on that. Is your friend foreign, too? Or does he just suck at talking to people?"

"Definitely the second one. He's somewhat... uncivilized."

He raised a brow. "Sounds like a weird guy. Do you hang around with a lot of uncivilized people?"

She laughed. "You could say that. I am talking to an American after all."

He put a hand to his chest, dramatically swinging the other toward his forehead as if he was going to faint. "You wound me! And to think I was worried about upsetting you. How rude." The bite to his words was undermined by the charming smile he shot her.

She laughed even harder. "I-I'm s-s-sorry," she stuttered through her laughter.

He straightened. "That's nice. You should laugh more often, Kagome. Your smile is infectious."

She stopped suddenly. _When is the last time I laughed like this?_ It bothered her that she couldn't remember being genuinely happy in a long time. _How did I get this way?_

"Kagome? What's wrong?" Cole bent to her eye level and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay? Kagome?"

She blinked and met his gaze. "Oh... Sorry. I guess I zoned out for a second."

"You sure get lost in your thoughts a lot. You must have been through a lot to have so much going on in your head all the time." He resumed walking.

"I... Yeah." She didn't know what to say to that. _It's like he sees right through me. Who_ is _this boy?_ She rushed to catch up with him.

He stopped next to the last doorway at the end of the hall. "Well, this is my next class. I'll see you afterward in chemistry. Oh and Kagome?" His expression turned warm as he looked at her earnestly. "Thanks for the talk. I really like getting to know you."

Kagome blinked; she wasn't expecting that. "You don't know anything about me." Her voice wasn't challenging, just slightly bewildered. Cole's words made her feel off—she didn't like being read like an open book.

He chuckled. "Maybe you're right. But I'd like to."

Kagome turned away as he entered his classroom. She didn't want to acknowledge the quiet whisper in her mind that said she wanted to get to know him too.

* * *

"Gah! I don't understand. When am I ever going to use this outside of school?" Cole slammed his forehead into his textbook for the tenth time while Kagome stared at her own textbook in horror. It didn't matter if they spent the next year in the library studying. She was so going to fail this test.

"Well that depends. What do you want to do after college?" She was curious, but mostly she just wanted a distraction from how stupid she felt looking at the pages in front of her. They might as well have been written in Swahili for all she understood.

"Me? I don't know. I'd like something that keeps me active. I hate sitting around all day."

She nodded. "I guess chemistry really isn't the field for you then."

"Who'd want to sit around poring over chemical reactions anyway? It's cool and all but I don't see why I need to know it. I'd rather travel around, picking up jobs that interest me. Maybe help some people along the way. Just until I find something that makes me happy, you know?"

She stared at him. "Yeah. Actually, I know exactly what you mean." _It's like he's been there._ "There's nothing like going on an adventure and seeing where the road takes you."

He gave her a confused look. "You say that like you've experienced it."

"Uuuuhh. Hey I'm hungry! Are you hungry? I'll go get some more snacks from the vending machine." She sprang out of her seat quickly to avoid his questions.

 _I can't control what comes out when I'm around him. He's so easy to talk to. He doesn't shut me out like Inuyasha does._ She sighed. She missed Inuyasha. No matter how nice and easy Cole was, he wasn't the golden-eyed boy she wanted to be with right now. _I hope he's resting before we finally face Naraku._

Kagome chewed her lip as she carried the chips back to their table. _I need to be careful with what I say to Cole. He'll think I'm crazy if I say too much about my journey in the Feudal Era._

The sound of a chair scraping across the floor snapped her out of her thoughts. He was scooting closer to her with an expression full of worry on his face. "Kagome, am I too forward?"

She sputtered at his abrupt question. "F-forward? What do you mean?"

He leaned toward her, furrowing his brow as he spoke. "I mean do I come on too strong? I don't want to make you or anybody uncomfortable. You jumped up to get food so quickly I was almost worried you would just leave."

She shifted her gaze to the bags of chips on the table beside them. "Oh that? No I didn't do that because you make me uncomfortable." _Just the opposite, really. I'm_ too _comfortable around you._

He shook his head like he didn't believe it. "I mean it, Kagome. I don't want to invade your privacy or anything like that. You would tell me if I'm getting too personal, wouldn't you?"

She smiled. "Don't worry, Cole. If I'm not happy with you, you'll know right away."

After frowning at her for a moment, he returned her amused smile with a relieved one. "Okay, good. Let's get back to the chapter. We only have an hour until the library closes. We'll never cover it all by Friday at this rate."

Kagome was only half paying attention as they talked over the test material. She couldn't stop thinking about how easy it was to talk to the boy next to her. She tried to remember to be wary of him, but it was starting to seem unnecessary. She didn't sense the slightest bit of darkness in his heart. _What is it about him?_

"Ready for the practice quiz? We'll focus on just this unit for now," Cole said, handing her a quiz booklet he pulled from his notebook.

She rubbed her eyes to clear her thoughts. _Focus, girl! You_ can _catch up. You've just got to try!_ "Okay. Let's do this!"

She decided that for the next three days, she would put all thoughts of talking, sparks, and golden eyes aside and focus on her studies. She ignored the pang in her heart that reminded her she said something similar the last time Inuyasha didn't come for her.

* * *

Kagome stretched and yawned as she exited her last class of the week. She was exhausted; she had been up half the night going over her notes to cram for the test.

She and Cole had spent the last three days taking detailed notes in class and going over every little thing in the library after school. It had been an adjustment at first because Cole wrote his notes in English. He said he wrote faster in English and wasn't used to writing in Japanese all the time yet. Kagome did well in her English class, but she was better at speaking and understanding it than she was at reading and writing; it had taken her a while to make her own copy of the notes to go over one more time.

Cole fell into step beside her, as he had been doing the past week. "You know, that actually wasn't so bad. I think I did okay. How did it go for you, Kagome?"

Despite how sleep-deprived she felt, she beamed. "I did my best. I think I'll get a good grade for once!"

Cole raised his hand for a high-five—another one of his American quirks. She slapped her palm to his. "Awesome! We make a great team," he said.

She quietly reflected on this as they walked toward the front of the school, where they had agreed earlier that day to meet the girls and Hojo to let them know how the test went. _We really do make a good study team._

Now that she thought about it, she realized she had quickly come to consider Cole a friend. He spent every day at lunch with her and her other friends, and with each day in chemistry and at the library, the conversations between them flowed more easily. She hadn't warmed up to anyone this quickly since Inuyasha had promised to protect her with the Tetsusaiga in his father's tomb.

"Higurashi! Cole! How was the test for you guys?" Hojo waved them over while he worked to unlock his bicycle rom the rack. Eri, Ayumi, and Yuka quickly approached them with eager looks.

"It went pretty well. I think I'm finally caught up with the rest of our class," Cole said. The girls congratulated him and turned to Kagome.

"Well?" They all said at once.

She smiled. "I still have a long ways to go before I'm caught up, but I think I got a decent grade for once!" Her friends cheered with her.

"That's great Higurashi! We should all go celebrate with that ice cream we talked about! What do you guys say?"

Kagome grinned. She worked really hard to prepare for that test—she deserved a little time to enjoy herself. With a nod she made her decision. "Let's do it!"

"I'm in!" Eri exclaimed, quickly followed by Yuka and Ayumi.

"Me too. Ah, if that's okay..." Cole said, suddenly looking anxious.

The girls laughed and pulled him by his arm. "Of course," Ayumi said. "Let's go!"

* * *

Kagome clutched her stomach as she and her friends sluggishly walked toward her family shrine. "Ugh. I ate way too much ice cream."

Ayumi giggled. "Then why did you order two scoops? You know you can never eat more than one without getting sick."

Kagome threw her arms up. "Because! How am I supposed to choose between mint chocolate chip and rocky road? They're my two greatest loves." She sighed dramatically and clasped her hands together against her face. All of her friends burst out laughing. She sighed in contentment.

Hojo tried to sound firm through his laughter. "You shouldn't go so crazy with sweets, Higurashi. Too much sugar isn't good for your health."

Kagome shrugged. "What's the point of being healthy if I can't enjoy delicious ice cream? I'd rather stay sick then."

"Yeah!" Ayumi chimed in happily.

Hojo paled. "Don't say that! Your health is the most important thing. In fact—" He paused as he reached into the backpack slung over his bike.

 _Oh great. Another get well gift._ She tried to give him a grateful smile.

"I brought some herbal tea for you. You've seemed tired lately, so I thought these might help you rest so that you can recover more quickly. It's been great having you back at school for so long."

 _At least I can actually use this one. These herbs smell great!_ Her smile turned genuine. "Thanks, Hojo. That's very thoughtful of you."

The six of them chattered the rest of the way until they reached the steps to the Higurashi family shrine. "It was really great spending time with you, Kagome." Eri said.

"Yeah," Yuka said. "We've really missed you."

Kagome gave a small smile. She felt guilty for neglecting her friends so much, but her work in the Feudal Era was important. She owed it to Inuyasha and all her friends to see their journey through to the end. "I've missed you guys, too. Thanks for a great day."

Ayumi wrapped her in a hug, quickly followed by the other girls. "We'll see you later, Kagome. You keep trying to get healthier, okay?" She nodded.

Hojo bowed to her formally, ever the gentleman. "I had fun, Higurashi. You get lots of rest this weekend. I hope we'll see you Monday." With that he turned and walked his bike back in the direction they had come from.

She turned to Cole. "Thanks for studying so hard with me all week. It's been fun."

He returned her smile, but his expression was a bit nervous. "It was fun. I really like being around you Kagome. I was actually wondering..."

She waited expectantly. "Yes?"

He let out a deep breath and met her eyes. "Would you like to go on a date next weekend?"

She stared at him, eyes wide. "Oh. Cole." She shifted awkwardly. "That's sweet. But... I'm not really available right now. I like someone else."

 _That's the first time I've said it out loud to someone else_. She didn't count her multiple conversations with the girls; they were the ones who called Inuyasha her boyfriend, not her. She realized a long time ago it was easier to let them think what they want than to try to correct them.

"Is it Hojo? He seems really into you, too, you know."

She reddened at his question. "Um... No, it's not him." She sighed. "I know he likes me, but I just don't feel the same way," she admitted.

He raised a brow. "Have you been with this other person long? Because Hojo doesn't seem to know you're taken. I didn't either, actually."

She shook her head. "He doesn't go to our school. He and I aren't exactly together..." She put her head in her hands. "It's complicated."

"So you're not exclusively seeing him then?" Cole asked hopefully.

She didn't want to lead him on, but she wasn't going to lie. She was through pretending she and Inuyasha were something they weren't. _He hasn't even come to check on me once in four days._ She shook her head. "Like I said, it's complicated."

He nodded in understanding. "Well, I won't pry. But if you're not in a relationship, would you consider giving me a chance?"

"Cole, I—" she started to respond. A noisy clap cut her off as he clasped his hands in front of her. He wasn't quite begging; it was more like an emphatic request.

"Come on, please Kagome. Give me one month. We can date non-exclusively, and if after that time you're still not interested in anything more, I will take the hit to my ego and move on. Then you and I can just be good friends and study partners. What do you say?"

She chewed her lip. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. "Cole, I'm flattered, but I can't even promise you that. You know I'm gone a lot because of my health. It comes and goes. If we dated for that long, you would only see me about four or five days out of that month. And they wouldn't all be in a row like this week."

He brightened up. "I understand that. How about this then? Give me a month and a half—one date a week. You decide when we start it with the first date."

She frowned. "I don't know, Cole. I'm never sure when I'll feel good enough to leave the house, and it doesn't seem fair to you."

He frowned back at her. "Why wouldn't it be fair?"

She looked away. "I know what it's like to want to be with a person who likes someone else. I don't want to do that to you. It's not right."

He smiled and patted her on the shoulder. "No worries. You've warned me of what I'm getting myself into. All I'm asking for is a chance." He reached into his bag and pulled out a felt-tip pen.

"Cole..."

He cut her off and took her wrist in his hand. She gasped at the sudden movement. "Tell you what. Here is my number. If you decide you want to give it a try, give me a call. If you don't call soon, I'll stop pushing, and we can forget this whole thing, okay?"

She blushed as he pushed her sleeve up slightly and the cool tip of the pen met her skin. The confident smile never left his face as he wrote his number on her wrist. _What happened to that shy guy who was worried about being too forward?_ Even as the thought flitted across her mind, she admitted she kind of liked Cole's newfound confidence.

"A-all right. But don't get your hopes up, okay?" She blushed harder as his gaze met hers. The sun behind her turned his eyes into a gleaming gold.

"Too late. Not once have you directly said you just don't want to go out with me."

She opened her mouth to respond, and he waited expectantly. The words fizzled out in her throat. She couldn't say she wasn't at least intrigued. He smiled. "See? Just think about it. See you later, Kagome." With that, he turned and strode away from her. She chuckled at the spring in his step, then bent her head to look at the digits on her wrist.

After reading over the numbers slowly, she let out a breath and headed up the stairs to her home. _I can't go out with Cole. I have to keep my mind on the fight with Naraku that's coming. We're so close!_

She felt her mood dim slightly as she remembered everything that was waiting for her back on the other side of the well. _I don't have time to think about boys right now._ _I came here to rest and prepare myself!_

A traitorous little voice whispered in her mind. _But you also came here to try to get over Inuyasha. What better way to go about that?_

She resisted the urge to sniffle as her eyes filled with unshed tears. _But I don't want to get over Inuyasha. I love him._

She put her head in her hands again and groaned. _When did things get so complicated?_ It used to just be her and Inuyasha and the search for the shards. There was no Naraku. No burying hundreds of villagers when enemies attacked. _No Kikyo_ , she thought darkly _._ She gasped, ashamed of her thoughts.

"I wish I could make these feelings go away," she whispered to herself as she walked underneath the Sacred Tree. She stopped and gazed at the familiar scar on its trunk. _What am I supposed to do? I don't know how I'll ever be able to say goodbye._ She wanted to defeat Naraku once and for all, but as always, she was scared of what would follow when he finally met his demise.

"Kagome! I'm so glad you're home. Did you have fun with your friends?" Mrs. Higurashi called to Kagome from the sliding glass door in the kitchen.

She wiped her eyes before she turned around. "Yes I did! But I'm feeling kind of worn out. I think I'm going to go upstairs and take a nap."

Her mother gave her a warm smile. "Okay, dear. Will you be staying or leaving when you wake up?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's been a while, so if I don't go tonight I'll definitely go check on them tomorrow."

Mrs. Higurashi nodded as Kagome passed her. "I understand. Make sure to let us know when you leave if you can!"

Kagome smiled at the concern in her voice as she went up to her room.

She groaned in frustration as she flopped onto her comfy bed. What was she going to do? If she didn't get her head on straight, she would be dead before she ever made it to high school. If she could pass her entrance exams, that is.

She rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling blankly. _Why hasn't he come? Did something happen?_ She clamped down on those thoughts before she worried herself into a panic attack. _If something had happened he would have found a way to get here. Or I would have sensed it. Or something._

She had always been reunited with Inuyasha when it mattered most. She had to believe that if he needed her, she would know it. _So then... I guess he just doesn't need me right now._

Kagome peeked inside her sleeve and stared at the ink on her wrist. _Cole likes me… Do I like him back?_ She wasn't sure. He definitely interested her a lot more than any other boys in her time. He was charming, funny, good-looking, and unusual—which, she admitted to herself, was kind of a requirement to catch her attention these days.

That was the problem with Hojo. He was a great guy, but he was just too… normal. Since that fateful day at the well, she just didn't identify with "normal" anymore, though at times she wished she did.

But with Cole… the more she learned about him, the more curious she became. Around other people, he was shy and somewhat quiet, though he was quickly coming out of his shell as he found his place at their school. But when it was just the two of them, a whole other side of him came out. One that was fun and personal and confident. She enjoyed getting to know him in ways other people didn't. Sometimes being around him was almost like being back in the Feudal Era. But as much as he reminded her of him sometimes…

 _He's not Inuyasha._ She sighed and dropped her arm over her eyes. _Why am I even considering this? I don't want anyone else._

That irritating inner voice came back to taunt her. _So you'd rather just be miserable and alone?_

She growled under her breath. _I just want to stay by Inuyasha's side, no matter what happens between us._

It didn't let up. _But at some point you're going to have to say goodbye forever. What will you do then?_

She refused to let her mind go down that road. She wouldn't think about that now. They still had a battle to get through before she had to worry about goodbyes. She glanced in the direction of her wrist again.

 _Well… maybe there's no harm in just writing it down. Besides, it would come in handy if I need to borrow his chemistry notes later in the year._ She chose not to acknowledge the thought that she wouldn't live to see later in the year in this state of mind.

She quickly scribbled the number on a notepad on her desk before she could think too much about it. She was just rolling her sleeve back down when the sound of her window sliding open made her jump.

"Yo. Kagome." For once he was calm instead of barging into her room demanding to know what was taking so long. It was slightly unnerving.

She squeaked and scrambled to cover the notepad with her textbooks. "Inuyasha!" She whirled around to face him. _He finally came…_ "What are you doing here?"

He frowned at her as he hopped from her window frame to the floor with a loud thud. "What do you mean what am I doing here? I told you I'd come get you if there was any sign of Naraku." He paused. "Is something wrong?"

She flushed. "Wrong? What? No. Why would anything be wrong?"

He moved closer and sniffed the air around her. "You're acting weird. You don't smell like anything's wrong. Are you okay?"

She waved her hand and forced a light-hearted laugh. "Oh, I'm fine. You just startled me." Then she registered what he had said a moment ago. "You're here because of Naraku? Have you found him?" She clenched her fists, not sure whether to feel hopeful or dread the possibility of what was to come.

He grimaced. "Not quite. But we might have found Kagura. There have been rumors of her hanging around a village not too far away from where we are now." He suddenly seemed impatient. "When I get my claws in her, she'll tell us where Naraku is. Now let's get going! We don't have all day," he said in his usual gruff manner.

She nodded and rushed to gather her things. _We have work to do. Just focus on the battle ahead._ Clinging to that thought, she rushed downstairs to say goodbye to her family and run to the well with Inuyasha.

"What took you so long anyway?" He asked as they floated through the cosmic portal that connected her world to the past. For once, his tone wasn't accusatory when asking her about the length of her stay.

"Just trying to clear my head," she answered vaguely. She could feel him watching her as she climbed out of the well.

He leaped over her and bent in front of her as she got to her feet. "Get on."

She jumped on his back and tried not to sigh in contentment at the familiar feeling of holding on to Inuyasha. _It's good to be back_.

 _But how long will it last?_

* * *

 **Wow. That chapter came out waaaaaaaay longer than I thought it would. Hopefully you guys think it was worth the read. Let me know what you think in a review! I really do take your suggestions into account, so tell me how I can make the story better, or just what you like about it ^.^**

 **Like I said last time, my goal is to update this story every two weeks. So, I'll see you guys then!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This chapter is written in multiple POVS, primarily Kagome and Inuyasha, with a brief passage from Sango's perspective. Hopefully the change in narration will be enough to indicate these changes, but let me know in a review if they're not so I can add labels to the chapter when the POV changes. Also, there is some bad language used throughout this story starting with this chapter, hence the T rating.**

 **Disclaimer: You know the drill.**

* * *

"KAAAAAGOOOOOOMEEEEEE!"

"Oof!" Kagome had barely made it through the doorway of Kaede's hut before a furry orange projectile shot at her stomach and knocked the wind out of her. She would have fallen on her butt if Inuyasha hadn't caught her shoulders from behind.

"It's good to see you too, Shippo," she choked out.

Shippo looked up at her with watery eyes. "I missed you so much! It's so annoying watching Inuyasha pace around the well all day. Did you bring me any snacks?" The young fox demon was talking a mile a minute, practically buzzing in Kagome's arms.

"Hmph. I didn't pace all day," Inuyasha grumbled as he released his hold on her.

She chuckled. "I brought snacks and supplies for everyone. But I can't get them unless you let me go."

Shippo beamed and hopped to the ground while Kagome caught her breath and started to rummage through her bag for his favorite treats. She smiled inwardly, appreciating the affection—even if it did leave her gasping for air.

Inuyasha put his hand over the bag to prevent her from opening it. "No time for that. We gotta get to that village and find Kagura." He clenched his fists and growled. "When I find that wench, I'm gonna tear her eyes out."

Kagome nodded. "Right. We should head out." She turned to Shippo. "I'll give them to you when we make camp for the night, okay?" He nodded.

Just then Sango and Miroku entered the hut behind them. "Ah, I see our lovely priestess has returned. It is wonderful to behold your beauty again," Miroku waggled his eyebrows as he approached Kagome. She rolled her eyes and exchanged a knowing look with Sango.

"Thanks—I think. I'm glad you're all here," she said.

Sango embraced her. "It's so good to see you again, Kagome. I hope you got a lot of rest at home." Sango met her eyes, and Kagome knew they would be talking later about the _other_ reason she looked away; she didn't know how to begin to talk about it.

"Are we really leaving now? It's going to be dark soon," Shippo said, climbing up to his typical resting place on Kagome's shoulder. She smiled at the familiar weight. She had almost forgotten how comforting his presence could be.

Inuyasha was already packing all their stuff into the yellow bag. "The village Kagura's in is nearly a three-day journey on Kirara. We can cut that in half if we fly at night, too."

Kagome frowned. "Inuyasha, that's dangerous. Who knows what we'll run into at night? Besides, you have to let us rest at some point."

He growled at her, but didn't stop stuffing the blanket into the overflowing backpack. "Haven't you gotten enough rest for a while? What were you even doing all that time you were gone? It's been days."

She crossed her arms and "hmphed" in indignation. "I was studying for my test, which isn't restful at all. You showed up just when I was finally going to have some time to relax."

"Keh. Serves you right for obsessing over 'tests' when you should be worried about finding Naraku."

Outraged, Kagome opened her mouth to spit out a retort when Miroku walked between them. "Okay then! We still have a couple hours of daylight left, so why don't we head out," he said. "We can discuss how long into the night we'll travel on the way."

Inuyasha slung her bag over his shoulder aggressively. "Fine."

She turned away from the grumbling half-demon. "Fine!"

* * *

Miroku shook his head as the fuming pair stormed out of the hut. "Nice to see things are back to normal around here."

Sango didn't reply as she and Kirara moved to follow the others. Miroku was right that Inuyasha and Kagome were being their usual selves, but she worried just how fragile this sense of normality was after the state Kagome had left in. _Kagome… Are you really okay?_

* * *

With everyone feeling well rested, the group had made it through the first night of flying without setting up camp, only taking one meal break before the sun rose. They traveled on through the day as usual, though perhaps a little more sluggishly.

By the second night, Sango, Miroku, and Kagome were complaining about their need for rest. Shippo was fast asleep on Kagome's shoulder.

"Inuyasha, can't we stop for a little while?" Miroku asked irritably.

Sango groaned in agreement. "Just a few hours of sleep. That's all we're asking." Kirara mewed in agreement—though it sounded more like a roar in her large firecat form.

Inuyasha gritted his teeth and snarled at them. "And that's all the time Kagura needs to run off to wherever Naraku is hiding. Ya wanna find him or not?"

Kagome bit her lip to keep from snapping at Inuyasha. After a deep breath, she tried to reason with him. "Inuyasha, if we get to the village without any sleep, she won't have to run. We'll be easy pickings."

He snorted. "Keh. Maybe you three wimps. I don't need rest to give Kagura what's comin' to her." He cracked his knuckles and grimaced menacingly as he flexed his claws. "Why can't you just sleep up here—OW!"

Sango had roughly flicked Inuyasha's sensitive canine ear. "Because Kirara needs rest too, you jerk!"

Miroku slumped. "Besides, who could sleep with all this wind? Call me whatever you want. I just want to eat and get some sleep—on the ground." He shot Shippo a look of longing and envy. "Look at him. He has no problem sleeping up here. Wish I could sleep like that."

Without giving Inuyasha a chance to argue—or, more likely, curse them out—Sango directed Kirara to land in a clearing in the forest beneath them.

Inuyasha pouted in a tree the entire time they were setting up camp. Kagome shook her head. _What a child._ She sighed in resignation as she settled in her sleeping bag for the night, deciding that sleep was more important than trying to talk Inuyasha out of his petulant mood.

"As soon as the sun's up, we're leavin' again, you got that?"

The only response she heard before losing consciousness was a muffled snore from Miroku. She let out an exhausted chuckle before drifting into the welcoming blackness of sleep.

* * *

"Would ya quit yawnin' in my ear? It's annoying!"

Kagome huffed in annoyance and adjusted her position on Inuyasha's back to lean away from his ears. "Well if you had let us get a full night's sleep, I wouldn't yawn so much," she grumbled.

He growled. "Stop complaining. We'll be at the village soon. You can rest all you want after I beat Naraku's location out of that hag."

"Hmph. Well until then you get to deal with my yawning."

Kirara had refused to transform after the half-demon woke them all at dawn, so now Sango and Miroku were trudging behind them, the small firecat resting peacefully in Sango's arms. After a couple hours of walking with Kagome trailing behind, Inuyasha insisted on carrying her so they could pick up the pace. Though he irritated her, she wasn't complaining about their proximity.

Inuyasha stopped abruptly, jarring her. His ears immediately stood at attention, twitching slightly.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Instead of responding, he bent down, indicating it was time for her to stand. He sniffed the air, moving to keep her behind him as he tried to identify the scent coming closer.

Suddenly Sango yelled "Get down!" at the same moment Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga and swung it just in time to block three spikes that would have hit him in the back of the head.

Kagome reached into her quiver and quickly notched an arrow in her bow, aiming in the direction from which the projectiles had come. Sango readied Hiraikotsu and dropped Kirara, who transformed to stand in front of Shippo, while Miroku tightened his grip on his staff.

She heard the guttural laughter of the demons before she saw them emerge from the bushes. Inuyasha moved as far in front of her as he could without blocking her arrow.

These demons were different from any she had ever seen. Their necks and arms were marked with scaly, tribal-looking black stripes in unusual twisting patterns. Though there were more on these demons, they reminded Kagome of the markings on Hoshiyomi, the demon ninja who had been possessed by the Naginata of Kenkon. Their eyes glowed red around slitted pupils, like a cat's eyes. She repressed the urge to shudder when their eerie glow looked in her direction.

Their ring leader looked more human, except for the tail coated in lethal-looking spikes slowly swaying behind him.

"Heh. Not bad—for a half-demon." His voice was gravelly and its low pitch resonated in that way only inhuman voices could.

Inuyasha growled, but didn't get to respond before Miroku stepped forward. "Our quarrel is not with you. We're looking for a wind demoness. Perhaps you've seen her?"

Spiky-Tail chuckled. "We got a problem with anyone who crosses into my territory without askin', like that little bitch we chased out of here last night. We don't like trespassers in our parts," he said in a pointed tone.

Inuyasha snorted. "Keh. Chased her out, huh? I can smell the wounds you're hiding under your shirt. I bet the only one who ran was your spiky ass."

He snarled. "Better watch your mouth, _half-demon._ Talk like that will get a reject like you killed."

Kagome winced at the low-blow insult. Inuyasha lifted his sword. "Why you—We'll see who's the reject!"

The demon let out a menacing laugh. "Fool! The woman with the fan escaped, but you will not be so lucky!"

Kagome realized Spiky-Tail's lackeys had quietly surrounded her and her friends as they spoke. They were about to be attacked from each side!

"Inuyasha!" she yelled in warning—just as they all lunged.

Inuyasha charged toward the leader, swinging Tetsusaiga over his head in preparation to swipe at the hissing demon.

She fired her arrow at the demon to her right, but he was faster than she expected and it missed him by a hair. The creature hissed and grabbed her arm hard enough to bruise, digging his claws in. He swung her around him and tossed her to the ground, ripping off the sleeve of her uniform shirt in the process.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha leaped to her side and slashed his sword across the demon's chest. He kneeled to help her up. "You okay?"

"I'm fine. Look out!"

Just as more spikes were about to fly into him, Hiraikotsu flew in front of them. "Be careful!" Sango called.

Inuyasha turned to face the spike-covered demon, his expression full of rage. "I don't got time for this." He then leaped into the air and brought his sword down. "Windscar!"

Kagome turned her face away as the Tetsusaiga's brutal attack tore Spiky-Tail and the other demon apart, ending their fight just as abruptly as it had started.

As the wind from Tetsusaiga died down, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku struggled to catch their breath.

Inuyasha cursed as he wiped his sword and returned it to its sheath. "Did you hear what they said? Kagura's already gone. We missed her." He roared and punched a nearby tree.

"How are we gonna find her now?" Shippo asked.

"I don't know," Sango answered breathlessly, sitting down abruptly next to Shippo and Kirara. She and Miroku were pale and sweating, their exhaustion clearly getting the best of them.

"This is all your fault!"

Kagome's head snapped up at Inuyasha's sudden accusation. "What? How is this _my_ fault?"

He stomped in her direction, towering above her from her position kneeling on the ground. "If you hadn't left, we would've been able to go after her as soon as we heard she was here. We could've caught her!"

Kagome could feel her body heating in anger and the blood rushing to her face. Outraged, she stood to defend herself, but she didn't get the chance. She swayed, suddenly light-headed and overcome with dizziness.

"Kagome!" Miroku called.

Shaking, she collapsed just as Shippo reached her. "Kagome! You're bleeding!" The kitsune's face filled with fear as his eyes fell on her arm.

Only then did she notice the pain in her forearm and the blood running steadily from it. The demon's claws must have torn into her as he threw her. She winced.

Inuyasha's angry expression disappeared, quickly replaced by concern. "Kagome! Try not to move."

More demon voices began calling in the distance. "We can't stay here," Miroku said. "We've got to get her somewhere safe."

The last thing she was aware of before losing consciousness was Inuyasha scooping her in his arms and murmuring to her as they jumped onto Kirara's back.

* * *

Splashing and muttered cursing were the first sounds Kagome heard as she came to. She groaned as the rest of her senses awakened, making her aware of the throbbing pain in her arm and the piercing headache forming in her skull.

It took her a long time to work up the will to open her eyes; when she finally did, she saw she was lying on a soft patch of soil a short distance from a wide stream, in which Inuyasha was aggressively washing blood from his hands. The familiar sight made her heart squeeze.

 _But whose…?_ Her thoughts drifted as she became aware of the clean bandage wrapped around her arm from her wrist to just under her elbow. She jumped in alarm. _That demon's claws went right over the veins! If he had cut any deeper, I would have bled out._ She shivered at the realization of just how much danger she'd been in. There was a wide ring of pink surrounding Inuyasha, presumably from all the blood that had seeped out of her while he was wrapping her wound. _That's a lot of blood…_

She summoned all the strength she could to sit up—and immediately wished she hadn't. "Ugh, I'm gonna be sick." She squeezed her eyes shut against the nausea, relaxing only a little when the sensation finally passed.

"You're awake." She looked up to see Sango approaching with supplies for setting up camp. That's when she noticed the time—the sky was quickly darkening to dusk; it would be night soon.

"Where are we? Are we staying here tonight?"

Sango nodded. "We're about halfway back to Kaede's village," she said, settling on the ground to build a fire. "There were more demons, but you lost too much blood for us to stand and fight. We found a hot spring nearby and decided to stop here."

"Hot spring?" If she'd had the energy, Kagome would have cheered. She felt sticky and gross from all the blood and dirt smeared on her skin. A bath was exactly what she needed.

Sango chuckled. "Yes, but we'll have to wait our turn. Miroku and Shippo are using it right now."

She tried not to pout. She glanced over at Inuyasha, who was lying back into the stream with his shirt and jacket carefully laid out on the other side of the stream. _Inuyasha…_ Just then, the fire crackled to life in front of them, pulling her back to the conversation _._ "What happened after the fight?"

Sango frowned. "We ran to get you to safety when we heard more demons approaching. After we tended your wounds, Miroku, Kirara, and I collapsed from exhaustion. Shippo kept an eye on us while Inuyasha went back to check the village for clues of why Kagura might have been there."

"Did he find anything?"

Sango's grim expression said it all. "No. He came stomping through earlier cursing about losing her trail. He hasn't said much since he changed your bandage. The first one was soaked through and dripping."

Kagome cringed, but the movement only aggravated the raging headache she had woken up to. She applied pressure on her forehead, trying to ease the throbbing.

"Kagome, what's that?"

"Huh?"

Sango leaned forward and pointed to her wrist, which was now exposed from her torn sleeve. "That. What is it?"

Kagome blushed and pulled her hand back to her lap. She had forgotten about Cole and his number written on her wrist. "Oh that. Uh, it's a long story."

Sango raised an eyebrow and scooted closer. "We've got time."

Kagome sighed.

* * *

"Ugh, I'm gonna be sick."

"You're awake."

Inuyasha's ears twitched at the sound of Sango's voice. He had been so focused on washing the sickly metallic scent of Kagome's blood from his hands, he hadn't realized she was up until he heard the girls talking.

 _Finally._ He didn't want to admit it, but it worried him how long Kagome had been passed out. He was relieved to hear the strength in her voice—even if she did sound exhausted.

"Hot spring?"

He rolled his eyes at the hushed excitement in her voice. She always got so worked up over taking a bath. He didn't see what the big deal was. She knew they were only going to get dirty the next time they were in a fight—and there was _always_ another fight. Why bother stopping at every hot spring they come across for a stupid bath?

He shrugged to himself and stopped listening. So far, she seemed fine; he would check on her more closely when he finally cleared his senses of the wretched smell that had been haunting him since the attack that morning.

Satisfied that his hands were finally clean, he waved the bloodied water away from him and approached the other side of the stream, away from where the young women were talking. He removed his fire-rat jacket and shirt and laid them on the ground next to the stream before stepping back and lying down in the water.

Holding his breath, he opened his eyes and looked up at the fading light breaking through the surface of the water above his head. Despite the chill of the water, it was almost peaceful lying in the stream. It was the first time all day his head wasn't filled with the smell of her blood and the fear of what it meant. _There was so much… She could have died._

He growled and flexed his claws as the image of the claw marks carved down Kagome's arm entered his mind. _I can't believe that low-life was able to hurt her when she was right behind me._ He could just hear Koga's voice in his mind whining about letting "his woman" get hurt on his watch; he grimaced in disgust.

 _That mangy wolf. Who does he think he is? Not like he's around protectin' her. And she's not his woman!_ He sighed mentally. He would have done it physically too if he wasn't underwater.

 _He'd be right, though._ Inuyasha vividly remembered the day Kagome, Sango, and Miroku had stopped breathing after being infected with Mukotsu's poison while he was fighting various members of the Band of Seven. Koga had blamed him then, but not nearly as much as he had blamed himself. He had promised that he would never let anything like that happen to Kagome again.

He tried to console himself as he watched the bubbles from his growls float to the surface and drift away with the flow of the stream around him. _At least this time she never stopped breathing._ He snorted, creating larger, more chaotic bubbles. It was useless. She was just as pale from this wound as she was from the blood loss when Miyoga sucked the poison out. He had broken his promise.

Inuyasha sat up and burst through the water's surface. He gasped for air, unsure how to process everything he was feeling. He shook his head. _Maybe I_ have _gone too long without sleep._ As he caught his breath, he noted the scent of Kagome's blood was finally gone. He could breathe through his nose again.

He quickly shook himself and exited the stream next to his clothes. He dressed, letting the girls' chatter in the background soothe his nerves. He didn't know what he was going on about. The important thing was Kagome was alive, and he would be more careful next time.

"This isn't like when she almost died,"he told himself sternly. "I stopped the bleeding. She's fine now."

He lay back on the ground, irritated with being worried about Kagome and blood and promises. He didn't want to think about it anymore, so he gazed at the sky and tuned in to whatever Kagome and Sango were talking about, thankful for his sensitive hearing. He would never say it out loud, but listening to Kagome talk always made him feel better. It assured him she was alive and healthy. It's when she wasn't yelling at him he knew something was really wrong.

"Kagome, what's that?"

"Huh?"

"That. What is it?"

His ears twitched in curiosity, but he resisted the urge to look up and see what Sango was referring to.

"Oh that. Uh, it's a long story."

Kagome sounded almost embarrassed. Now he was _really_ curious. His ears stood at attention and he listened intently.

"We've got time," Sango said in a wry tone.

Kagome sighed. Inuyasha wondered if he shouldn't listen to their "girl talk," as the priestess often referred to their conversations. He was about to get up and go for a walk, when Kagome's next words froze him to the spot.

"Well, uh, it's from this boy."

 _Boy? What boy? What did he give her?_

Trying to be as discrete as possible, Inuyasha lifted his head and looked at Kagome. She wasn't holding anything. _What are they talking about?_

He saw Sango reach over and pull Kagome's wrist toward her, examining it closely. He squinted, and that's when he noticed some kind of faded writing on Kagome's wrist.

"Why would a boy write on you? Is this normal in your time?" He couldn't care less about customs from the future, but he wondered the same thing about boys writing on Kagome.

She was blushing so hard he could see it from across the stream. He wasn't sure why that bothered him. It was still irritating, though, even if he didn't know why.

"It's not exactly normal, but it's not weird. I guess you could say it's a form of flirting to write your number on someone."

 _Flirting?_

"Number? Why would anyone want a number on them?" Sango asked.

"In my time, we have these machines called phones. Each phone has its own set of numbers that we use to call each other from long distances. That's the number he wrote on my wrist."

"So, this boy wants you to call him?"

"Exactly," Kagome said.

 _Hmph. What makes this guy think he's got the right to flirt with Kagome, huh? He must be strong to be so cocky. Just what I need, another guy like Koga distracting her from our mission._ Inuyasha hadn't realized he was digging his claws into the grass beside him until he angrily pulled up a clump of dirt. He quickly put it back, hoping the girls didn't notice his eavesdropping.

They didn't seem to notice as they continued on. "So, who is this boy that wants you to call him?"

 _Now we're gettin' to the good stuff._

Kagome cleared her throat. "Well, he's a new boy at school. We're partners in one of my classes. He's smart, and weird—uh, good weird—and direct. He kind of reminds me of Inuyasha in some ways."

Inuyasha felt himself blush at that last part. _Get a hold of yourself. It's just stupid future girly stuff. The guy goes to her school, so he's obviously just a human._

"And?" Sango pressed.

"And he wants to go out on a date. A few dates actually. That's why he gave me his number."

Sango tilted her head. "Date?"

He remembered what a "date" was from when Kagome kept saying she had to be home one Saturday a long time ago to go on a "date" with some guy named Hojo. He repressed the urge to growl.

"It's when two people spend time together to get to know each other better and see if they're compatible as a couple," Kagome explained.

"I see. Do you want to find out if you're compatible with him?" Sango asked quietly.

Inuyasha strained to hear Kagome's answer. "I don't know. Maybe. I don't think so…"

 _Well, which one is it?_ He hadn't realized he was holding his breath, and he huffed in annoyance at her answer.

She sighed. "I-I'm not sure. It's just—"

Sango put her hand on Kagome's and cut in. "I know."

 _What? It's just what? What the hell is she talkin' about?_

Inuyasha was considering demanding the answer from her when Kagome shook her head, stood up and changed the subject. He cringed as she wobbled unsteadily after standing. He would have gone to her, but Sango beat him to it, putting Kagome's arm around her shoulder.

"Look, here come Shippo and Miroku. Now we can use the hot spring!"

"You sure you're okay enough for a bath? You still need to rest."

Kagome shook her off. "I'll be fine. A bath will help me feel better."

As she reached for one of the towels she kept in her yellow bag, Inuyasha realized he wouldn't get the chance to check on her before it got dark if he didn't do it now. He quickly waded across the stream to catch up with her as she walked in the direction from which Miroku and Shippo were approaching in the distance.

"Kagome," he said, placing his hand on her shoulder to stop her. She jumped, then winced. His ears flattened at her hiss of pain.

"Inuyasha! You startled me. What is it?"

He gulped, flustered from all his thoughts in the stream and his reactions to Kagome talking about her new friend. "I, ah, well—sorry."

Out of the corner of his eye he saw Sango shoot him a strange look. "Uh, I'm going to take my bath now," she said to the priestess. "Join me when you're ready." With that, she walked away and left the two of them alone.

He didn't know whether to be grateful or upset about that.

Kagome tilted her head inquisitively and leaned closer. "Are you all right?"

Now that he was up close, he took in her appearance. She was still unhealthily pale—even past the blushing she'd been doing moments before—and she was subtly shaking. Her shirt was torn and she was covered in crusted blood and dirt. Ugly purple bruises dotted one of her thighs from landing when the demon threw her to the ground. Yet, her expression was merely concerned, which he didn't understand when it was clear she was in a lot of pain.

He leaned forward and gently put his hands on her shoulders, bending so his eyes were level with hers. "I should be asking you that. You lost a lot of blood."

She blinked, surprised at the sudden contact. "I—I'm okay. I feel a lot better now that I've gotten some sleep. I'm going to get more rest after my bath."

He shook his head. "That's not good enough. You know how vulnerable blood loss can make you. You should drink some of Miyoga's potion. Ya know, the one he gave you after he sucked the poison out of you guys."

He felt her shudder beneath his hands. "No way. Never again," she said, her voice full of quiet horror.

Relieved that she seemed more like herself, he let out a half-hearted chuckle. "Maybe it's for the best. It would take too long to go get it for you anyway."

"Too long…" she muttered, her eyes taking on a thoughtful look. Suddenly her expression became angry and she shoved his arms off of her. He sputtered, bewildered at her change in demeanor.

"That reminds me! You said that whole fight this morning was my fault!"

He huffed. "No, I said us losing Kagura was your fault."

Judging from Kagome's furious expression, that was the _wrong_ thing to say. He quickly tried to amend it. "No! What I mean is—I did say that, but now I'm not mad anymore—and it's not really—"

Her angry groan cut him off. "Inuyasha, you jerk! It was _not_ my fault, and the only reason you're 'not mad' anymore is because I got hurt. If I hadn't almost bled to death, you would still be blaming this whole thing on me!"

Inuyasha didn't want to dwell too much on the "almost bled to death" part. He growled in frustration; he just didn't know what to say to make her calm down. "Well yeah you gettin' hurt changed my mind. When I saw all that blood—"

She interrupted, still angry. "Inuyasha, it shouldn't take a serious wound for you see that this isn't my fault! I'm tired of you blaming me every time things don't go perfectly the way you want them."

"Huh?" He didn't get how it went from what happened this morning to every time something goes wrong. "No, it's not like that." He made a frustrated sound at his loss for words. "Argh. What I'm trying to say is I hate seeing you hurt."

That got her attention. She stopped stomping around and stood face to face with him. He let out a breath, not sure where to go from here. "I was just mad. It's… not your fault," he grumbled. Admitting he was wrong left a bitter taste, but he knew Kagome would storm off and refuse to talk to him if he didn't offer some form of apology. That or she would sit him. He grimaced at the thought.

She crossed her arms. "Is that supposed to be an apology?"

He crossed his arms and turned away. "When I changed your bandages, I realized even if you'd been with us when we heard about Kagura, we still would've missed her." He clenched his fists, angry they weren't any closer to finding Naraku.

"So then why didn't you just apologize? It wouldn't kill you, you know."

He sighed and turned back to her. "Because I wasn't thinking about it anymore when I saw you covered in blood. You worried me." He looked away, uncomfortable with being so open.

"Inuyasha…" Her expression softened, her eyes seeming to sparkle just slightly as her arms drifted back to her sides.

He wasn't sure if the soft smile she was giving him made him happy or uncomfortable. Either way, he couldn't deny that it drew him in. Without consciously realizing it, he was standing closer to her.

"Kagome. I can't…" His words drifted before he could finish the thought. When she looked at him like that, he had a hard time finding the words to tell her what he meant. What _she_ meant. He couldn't bear it if he couldn't protect her.

 _I can't lose you._

He was trying to work up the courage to tell her that when it hit him.

The scent of graveyard soil, clay, and the distinct odor of a soul collector.

 _Kikyo._

* * *

"I can't…"

Kagome was caught up in the moment, fighting the urge to take Inuyasha's hands as he tried to open up to her. She was spellbound by his eyes, so it took her a moment to register the change in his demeanor as he lifted his face and sniffed the air.

She blinked, disappointed he wasn't going to finish whatever he'd started to say. "Inuyasha?"

He stepped away from her. The next moment, a soul collector passed between them, stopping to rub affectionately against Inuyasha's leg before floating off in the opposite direction.

 _No, no, no, no, no. Not now!_ Kagome choked back a frustrated yell as she felt the moment shatter.

Inuyasha took a step toward the delicate demon. "It wants me to follow it. She's close by."

"Now?" She tried to keep the hurt out of her voice, she really did. Inuyasha didn't seem to notice, so she must have done a better job than she thought.

Inuyasha was already looking intently through the trees. "I'm gonna go find her. Go take your bath, Kagome." With that, he dashed away and left her alone.

For a few moments, she couldn't react. All she could do was stare in the direction he had disappeared and wonder why the trees were all blurring together.

And then she realized it's because she was crying. The realization that Inuyasha had chosen Kikyo over her _again_ made her fall to her knees. She didn't care about the pain that went shooting through her bruised leg. She didn't care that the jarring sensation of the fall made her arm throb. She was accustomed to physical pain.

It was the pain she felt inside every time he went to _her_ that she couldn't seem to get used to.

She snorted angrily at herself. It's not like this was new. She knew she would never compare to Kikyo in his eyes. Sure, Inuyasha cared about her. He was her best friend, and she was pretty sure she was his, too. But she had told herself a long time ago there was no room in his heart for her as long as he still had Kikyo.

 _So why does it still hurt so much?_

She wrapped her arms around herself and looked at the ground. _Because when he looks at me like that, it makes me think there's a chance after all._ She watched a few teardrops plummet to the dirt beneath her. _Do you see her when you look at me that way, Inuyasha?_

She stood abruptly, angrily swiping at her tears. Not for the first time, she wished she didn't look so much like Kikyo.

Frustrated and hurt, she began frantically packing her bag. She didn't want to stick around for the look of longing in Inuyasha's face when he returned from seeing Kikyo. Tonight she just didn't have the strength to see his drooping ears and the way he hung his head, or deal with the way he stood as far away from her as possible and avoided looking in her direction.

 _Not after this. I just need to get away. I need to go home._

At the thought of home, she froze. She was still covered in dirt and blood. Her bandages were still clean, but they would no doubt get soaked again if she overexerted herself before her arm had a chance to heal.

"If I go home like this, Mom will never let me through the well again," she said to herself. With a choked sob, she pulled the towel back out of the bag and walked in the direction Sango had gone.

She ignored the concerned looks Miroku and Shippo gave her as she trudged past them and pretended they probably didn't see the tears streaming down her face.

* * *

"Kagome! What's wrong? What happened?"

Kagome tried to hold back from crying any more as she slid into the water across from Sango.

"Nothing. Like always."

She knew the demon hunter didn't miss the bitterness in her tone. "What did that idiot do?"

She shook her head. "It doesn't matter. It's nothing I shouldn't expect. She's in this too."

That was all she needed to say; they both knew to whom "she" was referring. Sango's face fell. "I'm sorry, Kagome."

She sunk beneath the surface, letting the hot water soak her hair and shake the first layer of dirt off. When she came back up, she finally felt steady enough to meet her friend's gaze. "Can I borrow Kirara for the night? I'm going home when we're finished here."

She could see Sango debating with herself over how to respond. She gave her a look. "Please, don't. I can't be here right now."

Sango let out a breath. "If Kirara is willing to take you, I won't stop you. She's had some rest today, but I don't know if she'll feel up to it."

She nodded, anticipating Kirara's possible response. If the firecat wouldn't take her, she'd walk the entire day back to the well. Anything to get away from the pain that was waiting for her in the gold eyes that were only for Kikyo.

* * *

"Thanks, Kirara. I'll be sure to stay gone for a while so you can get a break."

Kagome jumped from Kirara's back, feeling exhausted despite the refreshing bath she'd taken a few hours before. The firecat gave her an affectionate nuzzle before taking off to return to their friends.

She was now clean and dressed, with fresh bandages coating her forearm. The fresh uniform she'd changed into concealed any hint of injury on her upper body, though she couldn't do much about the bruises running along the side of her thigh. Still, some bruises from a fall were sure to concern her mother far less than deep claw marks down the length of her forearm. Now she'd only get some concerned questions instead of being banned from the Feudal Era all together.

Kagome sat on the edge of the Bone Eater's Well and swung her legs over. Before she jumped in, she took a long look at the greenery around her. The forest was still beneath the light of the moon. She was almost jealous of the serenity that seemed to surround the trees; she wished she could feel as calm as the leaves hanging lazily from the branches around her.

 _Now I'm jealous of trees? Ugh, I'm a mess._

Shaking her head, she pushed off into the well.

She gritted her teeth at the pain shooting through her arm as she climbed out into the well house. _I'm definitely going to need some ice after this._

As she walked toward her home, she stopped by the Sacred Tree. She stared at the scar she had spent so much time looking at while thinking about Inuyasha. This time was no exception.

 _The last time I was here, I was worried about having to say goodbye to Inuyasha and the others. But now, I_ want _to say goodbye to him, in a way._

She would never actually want Inuyasha out of her life. She just wanted to stop feeling this way.

"I wish I didn't love him," she whispered. She immediately regretted her words. _No. I don't wish that. I just wish it didn't hurt so much._

If she was being honest with herself, there was a tiny voice in the back of her mind that whispered what she really wanted. _I just wish he loved me, too._

Defeated and tired of wasting her time with pointless wishes, Kagome turned her back on the Sacred Tree and entered her house.

"I'm home," she called softly, afraid of disturbing anyone who was sleeping. Then she saw the clock said it was 10:30 p.m., and she marveled at just how exhausted she was. She would have thought it was well past midnight with how tired she felt.

"Hey Kagome. You're back soon. You mad at Inuyasha again?" Souta said as he passed her holding Buyo in his arms awkwardly. Buyo "mrrowed" in greeting.

She shot him a look of mild annoyance. "No. I just needed a break. Where's mom?"

"She's in the kitchen doing dishes. You missed dinner. Are you hungry?"

"No. Will you tell her I'm home? I'm so tired, I just want to go to bed."

Her brother gave her a concerned frown. "Okay, sis. Just make sure you talk to her before you leave again. I don't want to hurt her feelings because I got to see you and she didn't."

She ruffled Souta's hair. "I will. See you tomorrow."

With that, she hurried up the stairs and to her room. She tossed her bag away and slumped with her back against the door, pulling her knees to her chest.

Just like when she'd come home a week ago, she didn't feel like herself. She'd never been such a mopey person before.

 _I've also never been in love before._ She shook her head. _If this is what love feels like, I don't get what the big deal is._

Part of her knew it wasn't like this for everyone. Only she had the misfortune of falling for a hanyou from 500 years in the past who was in love with someone else.

That thought stirred her anger again. She knew Inuyasha had a history with Kikyo, but she just couldn't understand how he could hold on to his love for someone who wanted to kill him.

 _If she really loves him, shouldn't she want him to live?_ But that was just it. Kikyo didn't really love him anymore. The part of her that loved him died the day Naraku killed her. The Kikyo Kagome knew was merely a remnant of the beloved priestess, poisoned by the hatred Naraku filled her with while disguised as Inuyasha.

Couldn't he see that? _Maybe he knows, but he's still willing to die for her, because that's what she wants._ Because he still held love for the Kikyo he knew 50 years before Kagome found him pinned to the Sacred Tree.

 _I want him to live, but I could never compete with the love he's ready to die for._ She refused to let the tears threatening to fill her eyes fall. She had cried enough for one night.

She got up and threw herself on the bed, staring at the ceiling as she continued trying to sort through the emotions battling within her. She was ashamed of the jealousy and anger threatening to overwhelm her sympathy for the resurrected priestess. She didn't have any ill will toward Kikyo, really. She felt sorry for all the young woman had been through. Kagome couldn't imagine how hard her life was with the burden of the jewel, only to have it end with what she thought was a betrayal caused by that same burden.

Even more confusing was the chaotic mass of emotions she felt for Inuyasha. She knew there was more to her feelings for him than the hurt and resentment that filled her now, but it was hard to think past them. She was just so _tired_ of being second best to Kikyo; she was the better archer, the better priestess, the better healer, the better fighter. _The better girl, to Inuyasha._

She never brought it up anymore, but it hurt her to think about all the times Inuyasha compared her to Kikyo when they first met and were forced to work together to find the jewel shards. He'd always say Kagome was never as pretty or strong as her. He never said those words anymore, but she couldn't help but wonder if he still thought them.

Frustrated, she threw her pillow at the wall. She was about to grab her blanket and throw it too, until she noticed the writing on her wrist. She froze, eyes fixed on the ink. It was faded and illegible after her bath, but it did remind her that she had Cole's number written in a notepad on her desk.

 _Maybe it really is time for me to move on._ She knew that she would probably always love Inuyasha, but that didn't mean she couldn't try to find love in someone who could love her back.

Cole's voice ran through her mind. _"You've warned me of what I'm getting myself into. All I'm asking for is a chance."_

"A chance," she thought aloud. "Maybe that's all I need—a chance to move on."

Through the sadness, pain, and anger that had been consuming her all night, she felt an impulsive surge of desperate hope. She knew it wasn't rational, and she knew she didn't really want anyone but Inuyasha.

But after the night she'd had, she was willing to try anything.

Before she could talk herself out of it, she stalked to her desk and found the phone number. She pulled her scarcely-used cell phone from the desk drawer and dialed before she could think too hard about it.

She fidgeted as it rang, realizing that it was nearly 11 o' clock on a Sunday night and he might be asleep. Feeling ridiculous, she was just about to hang up when Cole's cheery voicemail played.

"Hey, you've reached Cole." The recording was in English. "Leave a message and I'll call you back when I can. Have a great day!"

Gathering her courage, she spoke quickly before she could lose her nerve.

"Hey Cole. It's Kagome. You said to call if I wanted to give this dating thing a try, so…" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Let's do it."

* * *

 **Ugh this chapter feels so forced for the first half of it. I am so sorry it's been months since the last update! Projects and finals got so overwhelming, I lost all my motivation. But I pushed through and did my best to put this out as fast as I could. I had a hard time forcing myself to get this part of the story out, but I'm feeling pretty inspired for the next few chapters, so I think it'll go better over these next few weeks I have left of my summer break! I hope this suuuuper long (19 pages!) chapter helps make it worth the wait.**

 **Thank you guys so much for waiting patiently and for all of the lovely reviews I got! I promise to try harder to update more regularly! I'm starting my senior year of college soon, so there may be some long breaks in between, but hopefully I can find time to work on this regularly.**

 **Leave me a review! I hope you guys are enjoying watching the formulation of a real love triangle for Kagome. I have a lot more in store for Inuyasha, Kagome, and Cole, so keep reviewing, following, and liking this story if you want to see where it's headed! See you next time!**


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